After nearly a fourteen year hiatus and much anticipation,
Alice in Chains has come out with Black Gives Way to Blue, their first
full-length record since their self-titled. Little needs to be said
about the storied history of Alice in Chains, their former front man
Layne Staley and his vices, and ultimately, his untimely death. In the
large span of time since their last album, it has been a topic of contention
amongst the rock community whether or not Alice could go on after losing
such an integral part of their sound.

Moreover, if they were to go on, who would replace Stayley?
Many different vocalists stood in during live performances, including
Metallica's James Hetfield and ex-Pantera member Phil Anselmo, with
nothing solid materializing until recently. When it was confirmed Alice
would be going back into the studio, I'm sure many wondered how newcomer
William DuVall could fit such large shoes

Make no mistake: this is a vintage Alice in Chains record
through and through, cut from the same cloth as such classics as 1992's
Dirt. Sonically, Black Gives Way to Blue has the trademark brooding
riffs, chilling use of dissonant chords, vocal melodies, and darkly
introspective lyrical content fans have come to expect. Any fear of
the band softening or losing their creative inspiration due to age,
the loss of Layne, or any other reason can safely be discarded; this
is a worthy addition to Alice's back catalog and fits in as such without
missing a beat. I think drummer Sean Kinney hit the nail on the head,
saying, "I know people are blown away that we really sound like
ourselves, and I understand the apprehension, but it's not really that
big a stretch to sound the way that you sound."

But there remains one question unanswered that I have
carefully side-stepped in describing the sound of this record: How do
the vocals sound? In a word - fitting.

A more detailed answer is somewhat elusive, however. Though
I wouldn't realize it until listening to his solo material, Jerry Cantrell's
voice is a huge part of Alice in Chains' signature sound, so much so
that said solo works could easily be considered proper Alice records.
What's more is that I am fairly certain the singles released thus far
are entirely sung by Cantrell (correct me if I'm wrong), with a considerable
amount of vocal presence on the remainder of the songs.

It almost feels a stretch to call DuVall the lead vocalist
of the band, as his voice is featured less prominently than Cantrell's,
which is an observation that may please fans worried about a change
in sound. That being said, certain sections are easy to pick out as
DuVall, and the parts he does sing, he does so admirably and not in
a fashion that attempts to emulate Staley. But it makes the listener
wonder; why not just pick one singer for the entirety of the record?
Frankly, Cantrell's vocals are the definitive Alice in Chains sound,
and would have not detracted from the experience at all.

Black Gives Way to Blue is everything the fans were expecting
from an Alice record, sounding like it could have came right out of
the 90's. Despite its lack of progression into new territory, the style
and songwriting is something that no other band has been able to capture
since, and is something this revered band has been able to preserve
through all of the years and turmoil.